Q.This time of year we begin to treat all of our customer accounts for fire ant infestations. In the past, we have applied baits and treated mounds at the same time.
Currently we are thinking that we should probably apply the baits first and give the ants a chance to feed on them, and then return and destroy the mounds a couple days later.
Which strategy do you think will work best? (D.R.)
A.I have seen both approaches work very well. However, I tend to believe your second approach the newer one will probably provide more long-term control and slow down the repopulation of your customers' properties by fire ants.
One of the things fire ants are capable of doing when you treat mounds directly is escaping from the treated mound with some of the brood and workers before they are all killed. It is not uncommon for homeowners and/or pest control operators to observe a small, new colony forming within a couple feet of the recently treated mound within 24 to 48 hours. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as satelliting.
Some of the toxicants used for direct treatment of mounds are not rapidly effective, so part of the colony may be able to escape. These survivors don't always move a long distance before setting up a new mound site.
Since this is so prevalent with fire ants, I believe that you may avoid this problem either by using rapidly destructive means for destroying the mound and assuring 100% control of the mound, or by applying your fire ant baits and allowing the ants to forage on them and for the toxicant in the bait to be distributed throughout the entire colony before you destroy the mound.
This way, if some of the ants do escape and begin to set up another mound, you will have already gotten toxicant into their system, which will keep them from successfully reestablishing the colony.
I know this requires an extra trip to the customer's premises, but any time you are using baits and working with social insects such as ants, I believe it is wise to schedule a follow-up inspection and/or treatment to ensure complete destruction of the colony, thereby ensuring that your customer is fully satisfied with your work.
Jeffrey Tucker, a contributing editor to Pest Control Technology magazine, is president of Entomology Associates, a pest management consulting firm based in Houston, Texas. If you have a question for him, write: PCT Questions & Answers, c/o Entomology Associates, P.O. Box 70375, Houston TX 77270, or fax your question to 713/681-9069.